Section: Mike Whittemore

Now that Governor Cuomo is getting down to work, good government groups are applying pressure on the new administration to make good on some key campaign promises – namely reforming the state’s campaign finance laws. Blair Horner is the legislative director of the New York Public Interest Research Group – better known as NYPIRG and …

Gov. Andrew Cuomo was all smiles as he entered the Capitol Red Room to meet with his cabinet for the first time. “This is so exciting for me. I hope it is for you too. Its a great new beginning — at a time when the state desperately needs a great new beginning,” said Cuomo. …

EJ McMahon has often been a vocal critic of Gov. Paterson, arguing that he hasn’t done enough to address the state’s fiscal problems and he thinks Paterson’s op-ed calling for pension reform in Friday’s Daily News misses the mark. McMahon is the Director of the Empire Center on New York State Policy. He joined Liz …

Assemblyman Jack McEneny has seen his fair share of gubernatorial inaugurations. The veteran state legislator is also a historian with a deep knowledge of both the state Capitol and the capital city.
He joined Liz Benjamin in studio Friday to discuss … …

Leading a political organization isn’t an easy task. Between fundraising, recruiting candidates and trying to avoid bruising primaries, the work of a party chairman is seemingly never-ending. Keeping your head above water is hard enough. Keeping everyone happy is pretty much impossible. 2010 provided an unusual number of challenges on both sides of the aisle. …

David Paterson wasn’t elected governor. In fact, he’s admitted he never really wanted the job in the first place. But his fate was sealed when he agreed to run alongside Eliot Spitzer… And we all know how that turned out. The fall of one governor inevitably leads to the rise of another and amid what …

As we get closer to the New Year, it appears the biggest fight that lays ahead for Andrew Cuomo is not with the Legislature…But with organized labor…namely the public employee and teachers unions. Cuomo hasn’t been sworn in yet, but already people are choosing up sides. Among Cuomo’s allies is the Committee to Save New …

Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo’s to-do list is growing longer by the day. The budget and closing the multibillion-dollar deficit might be his top priority, but advocates for a wide variety of issues are clamoring for his attention, too. Supporters of gay marriage are hoping Cuomo will keep his pledge to make their bill a priority during …